


In the Hereafter

by TwilightsInferno



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Angst and Feels, Crisis on Infinite Earths Companion fic, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Grief/Mourning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-15
Updated: 2020-01-15
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:33:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22269469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwilightsInferno/pseuds/TwilightsInferno
Summary: Barry and Caitlin share an intimate moment watching the news after the Crisis has ended.(Based on THAT news scene)
Relationships: Barry Allen/Caitlin Snow
Comments: 12
Kudos: 119





	In the Hereafter

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing right after the episode aired lol May be a bit hurried compared to my usual work but I couldn’t help it after that scene <3

Barry sat in the Cortex, staring at the endless flashes of color on the television. Shot after shot, angle after angle, every moment of the big fight broadcasted for the world to see. A new world... Earth-Prime as they now called it. A world that was three in one, bringing Jefferson Pierce’s reality and Kara’s reality into theirs... and the heroes were the only ones that knew. Knew that it wasn’t always this way, knew the true lengths they had to go to save even a semblance of what used to be.

Suddenly a soft knocking caught his attention from the direction of the medbay and he saw Caitlin... Caitlin, alive, here. After a few weeks in the Vanishing Point a part of him had started to worry he’d never see her or any of their friends again. There was so much he wanted to say. Where even to begin?

“I thought you went home,” He started, he really had. He thought he was alone here.

“I wanted to check some things first,” She admitted softly has she entered the room.

“Like what?”

“Everything...”

That one word caught in the still air of the darkened room. The finality of it. Everything. Because it was true, everything had changed.

“The President is about to make a speech,” He said gesturing to the TV, not sure what else to say.

“Do you mind if I watch with you?”

“Not at all.”

They shared a small fleeting smile as she came over and sat beside him on the desk. Close enough he could feel the fabric of her sweater brush up against his arm. A part of his mind thinking, ‘ _ that almost never happened again _ ’. What would he have done if he never saw her again?

Suddenly the Breaking News jingle chimed on the TV as the broadcaster said they were going live to the President. And then she appeared in the oval office, talking to the camera.

_ “My fellow Americans, today our way of life, our world, almost came to an end.” _

Barry took a risk to glance at Caitlin and found her looking right back. It hadn’t almost ended, it  _ had  _ ended. They were lucky to have even one universe alive let alone many.

_ “An entity known as the Anti-Monitor attacked Earth. Intent on its destruction. Thankfully we were saved by Earth’s greatest heroes who came together when we needed them most. Never before has there been such an event. Their unity and strength should be an example for us all. I’m told this assembly was lead by Star City’s own Oliver Queen, otherwise known as the Green Arrow.” _

And there it was, at the sound of his name Barry could feel the prickling around his eyes and the tightness in his throat as tears started to form. His mentor, his friend... his hero. Gone. He could sense Caitlin looking over at him but he wouldn’t pull his gaze from the TV. His jaw tightening as he tried to hold it in.

_ “We give thanks to these brave women and men who with great tenacity, tireless work, and the utmost courage put their lives on the line for our country, our planet. While in a hard fought battle loss is expected, it never gets any easier. So it is with great sadness that I must inform you that Oliver Queen sacrificed his life for our world’s survival. He is known to us as the first of our heroes. And while this is a devastating loss we can take solace in knowing that he lived as he died. With honor. I ask all of you to join me in a moment of silence to honor him now.”  _

And it was silent. The only noises the quiet hum of the computers and lab equipment. Barry closed his eyes and a small sniffle came from beside him.

A silent moment. 

A silent moment.

A silent moment.

Then:

_ “A grateful nation thanks you Mr. Queen. May you finally find rest in the hereafter. God bless you and God bless the United States of America. Good night.” _

But Barry’s eyes remained closed, wiping a tear from his cheek, as the news continued, idle chatter of the news anchors, when suddenly they were plunged back into silence.

He opened his eyes to find Caitlin staring down at the remote in her hands, having shut the television off.

“Cait?” He called to her worriedly and she looked up at him. Her large brown eyes, dark in the dim lighting, but he could still tell were swimming with tears.

“I’m so sorry Barry, I know how much he meant to you.”

“I’m sorry too,” He told her quietly. There was a beat between them, just searching each other’s eyes but for what he wasn’t sure, and then at the same time they moved forward. Wrapping their arms around each other in a hug. Her hands folding over the center of his back, pulling him in so closely as he buried his head into her shoulder.

Yet he hadn’t come to Star Labs for comfort, but to be alone. He wasn’t ready to go home, to face an interrogation of questions he didn’t have answers too. He had thought he wasn’t ready to face anyone, but Caitlin wasn’t just anyone, was she? She never needed to ask such questions, she always just knew. Knew what to say, and what to do. Her warmth enveloped him in a way he didn’t know he needed until just then and he finally let a few tears he had been holding back slide out. After everything he’d been through he let himself feel it. Feel that Oliver Queen was gone, the world they knew was changed forever, and their futures and all certainty were entirely unknown.

Time passed, they didn’t say anything, they didn’t have too. After his mind had slowly quieted from his grief he pulled away, meeting her eyes again. That question coming back into his head, ‘ _ what if I never saw her again? _ ’ 

“Thank you,” He said, his voice still tight.

She mustered a smile, her hand giving his arm a comforting squeeze, tears still caught in her eyes as she said, “Oliver would be so proud of you, of everything you’ve become. I know I am.”

He gave her a smile, one strained with emotions as he nodded.

“What do you need?” She asked him softly and he looked up at her, a little surprised.

“Just... could you stay here with me? Until I’m ready?” He kinda hated how small his voice sounded, but Caitlin’s smile quickly banished any insecurity he was feeling.

“Of course.”

So she scooted closer to him and they talked about anything and everything they could think of, from their theories about this new world all the way to Beebo. And for a moment things felt... right. That it would be okay. And they could go bravely into this new world changed, maybe even find a way to be better than they were before. If this really was a new world, a new beginning, Barry couldn’t think of a better way to start it. With him and Caitlin being there for each other, here, in the hereafter.

**Author's Note:**

> In this I was also able to process a lot of my thoughts and feelings of Crisis and going forward, etc. So I hope you liked it!


End file.
